8 me from much obloquy, which flowed from the pens of writers, who seemed not reluctant to seize such an opportunity for the exercise of their critical sagacity, and for expressing their indignant astonishment ; it would have saved the public from misapprehensions and false suspicions. Another error in Mr. Reed’s text, now first corrected in this reprint, likewise exposed me to censure. Washington had written, on a certain occasion, that he did not consider it “ expedient to countermand the raising of the Connecticut regiments on account of the pay,” and it was so printed by me. In Mr. Reed’s work the word Continental appeared instead of Connecticut, and it was again inferred that I had deliberately perverted the truth of history by assigning to the Connecticut troops what was intended to be applied to those of the Continental army. Again, few themes, of so little significance, have been more amply discussed than the phrase “ Old Put,” used in one of Washington’s letters. It here comes forward under an aspect somewhat new. Mr. Reed says, “It is printed ‘Old Put’ in my book, as a quotation. Hence it has been assumed that Washington so used it. On reference, now, however, to the original, I find it written without the quotation marks.” As Mr. Reed’s text was relied on, the assumption of its accuracy was not unnat-
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTM4ODY=